Not upheld: delays in claim processing and validation; unclear policy terms regarding accessories complaint against Assurant General Insurance Limited trading as Assurant

Decision detail

Summary

Mr P complained to AGL about delays in processing his mobile phone insurance claim after his phone was stolen. AGL upheld the complaint, accepted the full claim including accessories without proof of purchase, and paid £75 compensation. Mr P remained dissatisfied, believing the delay was greater and the compensation insufficient given his financial vulnerability and need for the phone for employment. The ombudsman found that AGL's two working day avoidable delay was reasonable given their service level agreement and validation requirements, and that the £75 compensation fairly reflected the inconvenience caused. The ombudsman did not uphold the complaint, finding AGL had acted fairly and reasonably in all respects.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while AGL had avoidable delays of two working days, this was a reasonable timeframe given the need to validate claims. The ombudsman determined that AGL's request for supporting evidence was reasonable and fell within policy terms. The ombudsman noted that AGL's three working day service level agreement was reasonable under industry standards. The ombudsman concluded that the £75 compensation fairly reflected the two-day avoidable delay and the inconvenience caused, while also recognizing that AGL was entitled to validate the claim and that the theft itself was not AGL's responsibility. The ombudsman found AGL acted fairly by accepting the accessories claim without proof of purchase despite this not being expressly stated in the policy.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website